Rich world traveller

Sunday, February 15th 2004, Day 15 8:25am

Well diary, I haven’t written for a few days. I am lying in my “Miss America” room as they call it. From my bed I look up and see the white canopy that drapes around my bed and the chandelier and huge Cristo figure being crucified. Then there’s the light filtering down fromt the sky light above my bed. The first thing I hear is doves cooing. Now bells are ringing and ringing. They make a big deal out of Sunday. Just like they make a big deal out of Valentines day which was yesterday. We saw a wedding at the five star hotel where we were supposed to be staying. The bride and groom were kissing and I just sighed. Everything here was ++ romantic yesterday. We had a big dinner last night by candelight in a fancy hotel courtesy of the orphanage. There was nice live musc and fireworks. We get taken out again tonight. This is all nice but I am ready to come home. Today I go for an hour massage and use of the jacuzzi and sauna and steam room at the “best” spa here in Antigua. It all costs 22 American which I figuerd was too good to miss. Bill (one of our leaders) said it was the best massage ever. So a bunch of the ladies and I were going to go but now they don’t want to so it’s just me but that’s OK. Maybe there’ll be sexy ladies there. I really have no idea what to expect but it’s an adventure. Today is my fantasy day when I pretend to be a rich world traveler. Or is it just the first steps of a future rich world traveler? Ha ha. We’ll see how it goes.

Then I plan to have lunch and go shopping. More resting at the hotel followed by our free meal. I don’t know what time we leave for Canada tomorrow but I am ready. To say a little about the last few days. Thursday water duty with Evan was fine and I wrote home. Friday was our last day and I got to go the market. Friday is the busy day and we had fun at the supermarket where they play really loud dance music on Firdays apparently. It was Friday the 13th. The announcer /D.J. was so funny I took a picture of him. He was also a soap seller. He talked like a reallycheesy DJ but what he was saying was about sales at the shopmart. It was bizarre there. I made shoppers laugh by dancing to the beats. We bought a lot of candy for the party hosted by the Canadians for the kids. It was Cindy’s idea to have a bonfire and dance and everyone says how great it was and there were games for the kids. Before, people liked to say it was a dumb idea but it really was neat. We bought Coke for the party (lots) and that was interesting but I couldn’t take a picture. The armed guard was very serious. He took a long time letting us in and wouldn’t let us out until we showed him our receipts. Even the simplest paperwork is treated with the utmost respect.

Anyway, the party was magical. Cindy and her friend are here. They are in love with Guatemalan boys. They paid a surprise visit to our room last night, then they spent the night together until 1:00 am. Now Cindy’s wearing his shirt in bed and listening to his favourite C.D. They are being a little reckless but at least they are having a lot of fun. Who am I to intervene? Other older hens on the trip are all in a flap though. Ah, young love in Guatemala. Cindy’s nice. She just said ‘I’m so happy we’re roommates’ and I said me too. Anyway, the party was so much fun and my job was pouring Coke and handing out candy and hugging kids. At the play time earlier in the day I had fun playing a basketball game. The little girls were lining up to take a shot. I taught them a song (chant) “2 in a row, 2 in a row” or you can say 1 or whatever for the situation. If they missed we would say “Oh, so close”. They didn’t know what the words meant, just the gist of it. They would sing “2 lee lay low, 2 lee lay low”. We had so much fun. I lost my voice. It’s still not normal today. I will spend the day on my own today I think and talk very little. Now it’s 9:15. I have to get going. Yesterday we came here and had a tour which was long but good and that is everything. Talk to you later.

Love, Me.